A new year is finally upon us, and a major theme for this year is “change”. The last several years have shown us just how much can change for business owners in a very short time, and this year will likely continue that trend. Keeping up with the times and pivoting your business accordingly is essential.
That’s why we’re listing off 4 of the most important survival tips going into 2021.
1. Embrace Digitization
Peoples’ needs for convenience are only increasing, so it’s becoming more essential to make sure that your business is online. There are many things a business needs to accomplish that, from building an accessible, functional and beautiful website, to being on social media and regularly using it to post to your followers. This new digital world we live in is indeed a lot of work, but it’s no longer just something that’s “nice to do.” It’s all but required. Do the best that you can with it, and remember that the time you’re spending is an investment in your business’s success. Of course, if you ever need help with bringing your business online, we can help you do just that.
2. Targeted Social Media Marketing
“Doing social media” is a common phrase these days, but for a business trying to garner more customers through these platforms, what do you need to do?
Creating a page and posting is great on its own, but to see results from your social marketing efforts, you need to make sure you know your audience. Facebook’s user base is some 2.7 BILLION users large, so it’s impossible to market to everybody. You need to narrow it down, which is a process called targeting. By deciding on a specific type of user, called a user persona, you can quantify what kind of content those users respond to the most. So instead of just “everybody,” your user persona might be women between the ages of 18-25 who are engaged shoppers. With a description like that, you can more easily determine where and what to post based on what kind of content frequently gets engagement from that audience.
3. Make Your Reputation a Priority
Maintaining your bottom line is of course super important, but a definitive trend that continues to grow is the importance of your business’s reputation online. People want to do business with companies they like and support, and maintaining a relationship with your audience by providing value can do just that. That is to say, make and post content that can help them. Use your expertise to craft a message that gives them something to think about, or laugh with, or even something that might measurably help them in their personal lives. Doing so will make it infinitely more likely for them to think of you when they need help, and is far more effective than constant sales posts consuming your whole timeline.
4. Don’t Stop Marketing
Due to the current extreme state of the world, revenue may be down. If you’re struggling, it is a good idea to cut costs where you can, but something we highly urge you to do is NOT cut your marketing. As Henry Ford once said, “A man who stops advertising to save money is like a man who stops a clock to save time.” In other words, your marketing is an integral part of your business. Always market your business, especially in a time like this.
That being said, marketing can be a full-time job on its own. Not every business owner will have the luxury of time to do it themselves this year. In those cases, we highly recommend that you hire a reliable and professional marketing agency to get the job done for you, and here at Southern View Media, we do just that. Just visit our website at www.southernviewmedia.com to find out more about how we can help your business survive and thrive through 2021!
